Here she comes, [a scantily clad] Miss America again in 1995. Hopefully for the last time, the swimsuit competition will reign as part of the Miss America contest this month.

Miss New York, Helen Goldsby, told reporters: “I am quite baffled concerning the hype of this issue.”

The hype, which is long overdue, spurred pageant organizers to take action.

Organizers have decided to let viewers determine the fate of the competition. People watching the televised contest are invited to call in their vote during the Miss America pageant on Sept. 16.

Miss America contest officials are adamant about the scholarship – not beauty – basis of the pageant. If scholarship is truly the basis, then what is the purpose of a swimsuit competition? What does intelligence and talent have to do with posing in beachwear?

The competition clearly suggests that Miss America is chosen partly on physical appearance.

If you tune into the pageant next Saturday evening, call in and advise organizers to get rid of an outdated, superficial, irrelevant form of competition.

Its absence shouldn’t affect the overall pageant, since organizers have told us the Miss America contest is “just a scholarship competition.”